Car-bolster



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' J. C. WANDS.

GAR BOLSTER Patented Oct. 29,1895.

' J1me;

HIM

' lock or hold the ends of the truss-rods of my UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN C. WANDS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,858, dated October29, 1895. Application filed August 12, 1895. Serial No. 559,040. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. WANDS, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Bolsters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to an improved car-.

bolster; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a bolsterconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view inperspective of one of the metallic boxes, such as is located upon theends of my improved bolster. Fig. 3 is an end view of the timber ofwhich my improved bolster is constructed, said view showing the kerfslocated in said timber. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view takenapproximately on the indicated line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of one of the metallic boxes that is located upon the ends ofmy improved bolster. Fig.6 isa View in perspective of the matingportions of a washer-block, such as I use in my improved bolster. Fig. 7is a view in perspective of a modified form of the metallic box of whichI make use. Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a washer used when thebolster is constructed with the modified form of metallic box seen inFig. 7. Fig. 9 is a front view of one of the saddles made use of in myimproved bolster. Fig. 10 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 11 is a viewin perspective of one of the bearingblocks used in the saddle. Fig. 12is a view in perspective of a washer that may be used in place of thewasher-block seen in Fig. 6, if desired. Fig. 13 is aview in perspectiveof a modified form of the means I employ to improved bolster.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates thetimber of which my improved bolster is constructed, and in the ends andlower sides of said timber are formed kerfs 2, the same extendingdiagonally upward from points on the under side of said timber to pointson the ends of saidtimber: slightly above the vertical center thereof.

downwardly from the tops to said bottom 4,

and formed integral with the outer faces of said sides 5 are parallel"flanges 7, which per form the function of column-guides.

Formed in the front face of the end 6 and horizontally arranged thereinis a rectangular recess 8, the same'beingin a plane slightly above thevertical center of said end 6. Formed in the end 6 and. extending frompoints adjacent the ends of this recess 8 to the top edge of said end 6are vertical slots 9.

1O 10 indicate ribs or walls that are formed integral with the top faceof the bottom 4'and with the inner face of the end 6, and said wallsextend from the lower ends of the vertically-arranged slots 9 in saidend wall downwardly to the edge of the bottom 4. Concaved grooves 11 areformed in the top edges of these walls or ribs and extend the entirelength thereof.

Formed in the side walls 5 adjacent the forward edges thereof is a pairof horizontallyaligned apertures 12.

The washer-block of which I make use comprises the mating portions 13and 14, the same being of such a size as that when they are properly puttogether they will lie within the recess 8, formed in the face of theend 6. When said matingportions 13 and 14 are together, the plate incross-section is in the form of an inverted wedge, and semicircularnotches 15 are formed in the lower edge of the top half 13 of said plateand coincide with semicircular notches 16, formed in the lower bythese'coinciding semicircular notches are in direct alignment with thelower ends of the vertical slots 9, and formed on the inner face of themating part 13 are rectangular lugs 17, that are immediately above thesemicircular notches 15, and when the plate is properly positioned theselugs 17 extend through the slots 9 in the end6. v

18 18 indicate ordinary truss-rods, the ends 19 of which are bentupwardly and extend through the kerfs 2 inthe end of the timber 1, andsaid upwardly-bent ends 19 rest directly upon the top edges of the wallsof the boxes 3 when said boxes are properly positioned upon the ends ofsaid timber. Heads 20 are fixed on the ends of the upwardly turnedportions 19 of these truss-rods, and said heads engage directly upon theouter faces of the mating parts of the washer-plateswhen the same arepositioned in the recesses on the outside faces of the ends 6 of theboxes. Ordinary saddles 21 are arranged between the truss-rods 18 andthe timber 1, the outer ends 22 of said saddles being turned upwardly toengage the side faces of said timber 1. Bolts 23 are passed through thecoinciding apertures 12 in the boxes 3 to assist in more rigidly holdingsaid boxes in proper position.

In the form of the box shown in Fig. 7 the vertical slots 9 aredispensed with and apertures 24 are formed in the end 6 of the box 3 insuch positions as that the ends of the trussrods 18 protrude from thekerfs 2 and will pass therethrough. When this construction is used,removable nuts must be located upon the truss-rods 18 at one end, andwashers, such as 25, having beveled inner faces 26, are made use of inplace of the washer-plates previously described.

In some instances the washer-plates seen in Fig. 6 are dispensed withand washers 27, constructed with a beveled face 28 and an integral lug29, made use of. the ends of the truss-rods 18 are screw-threaded, asindicated by 18, and nuts 18 are located upon said screw-threaded ends.The lugs 29 in this case pass through the vertical slots 9 and engagedirectly against the ends of the timber 1.

A further modification of the fastening for the ends of the truss-rodsis shown in Fig. 13, in which the ends of said truss-rods areconstructed with integral heads 30, in which are formedhorizontally-aligned apertures 31, said heads when properly positionedprotruding through the apertures or slots in the ends 6 of the boxes 3.A bolt or pin 32 is passed through these coinciding apertures in theheads and thus very effectually hold and lock said truss-rods inposition.

In the modified form of the saddle seen in Figs. 9 and 10 rectangularrecesses 33 are formed in the under side of said saddle, and rectangularblocks 34, having concaved grooves 35 extending longitudinally in theirlower faces, are arranged to move vertically in said rectangularrecesses 33. Recesses 36 are formed in the sides of these blocks 34 andform guides for the downwardly-pending portions of the saddles. Wedges,such as 38, are introduced between the saddles and the movablebearing-blocks 34, and passing through the smaller ends of said wedgesare keys 39, the same preventing the withdrawal of the wedges after theyhave been properly positioned.

In putting together the preferred form of In this instance I my improvedbolster the truss-rods 18, having the fixed heads thereon, are firstpositioned so that the bent ends 19 of said truss-rods pass through thekerfs 2 formed in the ends of the timberl and said fixed heads protrudefrom the ends of said timber. The metallic boxes 3 are now arranged uponthe ends of said timber in such a manner as that the flanges or walls 11pass into the kerfs 2 and engage directly against the bent ends 19 ofsaid truss-rods. The bolts 23 are now passed through the coincidingapertures 12 and the timber 1, and after which the mating portions 13and 14 of the washer-plates are arranged around the protruding ends ofthe truss-rods 18 and in the recesses 8 formed in the ends 6. Theordinary saddles 21 are now interposed between the truss-rods 18 and theunder side of the timber l and by any suitable means are moved outwardlytoward the ends of said timber 1 until the tension of the truss-rods issufficient to very tightly lock the mating portions of the washer-platestogether and within the recesses 8. When said saddles have been moved tothe position desired, suitable wedges or nails may be used to retainsaid saddles.

Then the modified form of the saddle is made use of, the same isinterposed between the truss-rods 18 and the timber 1 in such a manneras that the bearing-blocks 34 rest directly upon said truss-rods. Thewedges 38 are now driven between said bearing-blocks 34 and the saddles,and by so doing the proper tension of the truss-rods is obtained. Whensaid Wedges 38 are properly positioned, they are held by the keys 39 orother suitable means.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated one end of the bolster as being cut down,sothat it isin thickness equal to the height of the boxes 3. While this ispreferable, it is not essential, as the end of said timber may be leftfull, as shown at the opposite end of said timber.

A bolster constructed in accordance with my invention will carry anextremely-heavy load, the greatest strain-resisting qualities of thetimber are utilized, and said bolsteris very cheaply constructed, easilyand expeditiously put together, and is very durable.

It has heretofore been common practice to locate the column-guides onthe sides of the timber by passing bolts through said columnguides andsaid timber. WVhen lateral strain comes upon the column-guides sopositioned, said guides and bolts work loose and very often render thetimbers unfit for use as bolsters. By my improved bolster thesedifticulties are entirely overcome and a very simple and efficientbolster is produced.

I claim 1. In a car-bolster, the combination of a timber, metallic boxeslocated on the ends thereof, and colummguides formed integral with thesides of said boxes.

2. In a car bolster, a timber, metallic boxes located on the endsthereof, vertical columnguides formed integral with the sides of saidIlO boxes, and truss-rods the ends of which pass diagonally upwardlythrough the ends of the timber and the metallic boxes.

3. In a car bolster, a timber having kerfs formed in its ends, andmetallic boxes constructed with integral column-guides and intween saidheads and the metallic boxes.

5. In a car bolster, the combination of a timber, constructed with kerfsin its lower outer ends, metallic boxes having parallel column-guidesformed integral with their side faces and with walls that are located inthe kerfs, truss-rods having their ends bent upwardly and extendedthrough said kerfs on top of the Walls, heads located on the ends ofsaid trussrods, suitable washers interposed between said heads and theends of the metallic boxes, and saddles arranged between the truss-rodsand the timbers.

6. In a-car bolster, the combination of a timber, metallic boxes locatedupon the ends thereof, the same being constructed with recesses in theirouter faces, truss-rods the ends of which extend diagonally upwardthrough the ends of the timber and the metallic boxes, and washer-platesconstructed in mating port-ions arranged around the ends of thetrussrods and located within the recesses formed in the metallic boxes.

7. In a car bolster, a metallic box constructed with integral parallelcolumn-guides on the faces of its side-walls and having slots formed inthe top edge of the end of said box. and interior walls formed integralwith said box and extending downwardly from the lower ends of the slotsin the end-wall to the end of the bottom of said box, the upper edges ofsaid interior wall being concaved.

8. In a car bolster, a saddle arranged to be located between thetruss-rods and the timber, the same having recesses formed in its underside, bearing-blocks arranged to move Vertically in said recesses andhaving grooves formed in their under sides to engage the truss-rods, andwedges arranged within the recesses between said blocks and saddles.

9. In a car bolster, the combination of a timber having kerfs formed inits ends, metallic boxes located on the ends of said timber and beingconstructed with integral column-guides and integral walls that arelocated insaid kerfs, and truss-rods, portions of which extend along thetop edges of the walls within the kerfs, the ends of said truss-rodsbearing directly upon the metallic boxes.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. WANDS.

Witnesses:

E. E. LONGAN, MAUD GRIFFIN.

